◄ What Does Ephesians 6:23 Mean? ►

In the penultimate verse of Ephesians, Paul is offering a familiar and well-loved salutation to his brothers and sisters in Christ: "Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Peace, love, and faith are three spiritual qualities that are sprinkled in unfettered abundance throughout Paul's writings, and yet they retain a freshness each time they are bestowed on God's children of faith.

Only once in the New Testament, is this phrase "peace be to the brethren," used. Indeed, the peace of God which passes all human comprehension, is a gracious gift from our Heavenly Father which is promised to all His children through Jesus Christ our Lord, for it guards the heart and mind of all who cast their cares upon Him.

God's peace is the gracious gift that under-girds our going out and our coming in, and every man or woman of faith in Christ, is promised that heavenly peace will garrison our heart and mind in every difficult circumstance or troublesome situation. The peace of Jesus is also our precious portion, for our dear Saviour bestowed His heavenly peace on each one of us when He said, "Peace I leave with You. MY peace I give unto you."

The amazing love of God, binds us together in worship and praise to our Heavenly Father Whose loves for us is so profound, that He gave His only begotten Son to become our substitute for sin, while the supernatural love of Jesus is such that while we were yet sinners, Christ died on our account so that we might be forgiven of our sin, receive a new life in Him, become united with Christ and abide with Him forever.

Faith, enables us to worship in spirit and truth. It empowers us to carry out the work that God has prepared for us to do and it emboldens us to engage in the spiritual warfare of this age, effectively: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and satanic powers, who prowl around, seeking to destroy our ministry and taint our testimony."

Peace and love with faith, comes directly from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The unity of the triune Godhead, combines to bestow peace to the brethren, and love with faith. The divine equality of Father and Son is meted out in clear view in this verse; we are blessed with every spiritual blessing by the Father, through the Son, for both are equivalent in honour, glory, might, majesty, dominion, and power, forever and ever, amen.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your perfect peace and gracious love which is bestowed on all Your children through faith in Christ. Thank You that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, and that no one can remove the perfect peace You place within our heart, through the almighty power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN.